''The King's Jester'' () is a 1941 Italian

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Mario Bonnard Mario Bonnard (24 December 1889 – 22 March 1965) was an Italian actor and film director. Career Bonnard was born and died in Rome. He began his cinematic career as an actor becoming a popular romantic lead in numerous silent films made befo ...

and starring

Michel Simon Michel Simon (; 9 April 1895 – 30 May 1975) was a Swiss actor of German origin active primarily in France. María Mercader María de la Asunción Mercader Forcada (; ; 6 March 1918 – 26 January 2011) was a Spanish film actress who appeared in some forty films between 1923 and 1992. She moved to Italy in 1939, later becoming the second wife of film director V ...

and

Rossano Brazzi Rossano Brazzi (18 September 1916 – 24 December 1994) was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He was known for playing roles that typified the suave, romantic leading man archetype, both in his native country and in Hollywood. ...

. The film is an adaptation of the play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

and uses elements such as the music and some of the character names from

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

's later opera ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...

''.Fawkes p. 111 It is set at the court of

Francis I of France Francis I (; ; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis&nbs ...

in the Sixteenth century.

Cast

as Gilda *

as Il re Francesco Iº * Doris Duranti as Margot *

Paola Barbara Paola Barbara (22 July 1912 – 2 October 1989) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1935 and 1978. She was sometimes credited as Pauline Baards. Life and career Born in Rome as Paola Proto, after her fi ...

as La duchessa di Cosse * Elli Parvo as La zingara *

Carlo Ninchi Carlo Ninchi (31 May 1896 – 27 April 1974) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1963. Selected filmography * '' Before the Jury'' (1931) – Marcello Barra, il guardacaccia * '' Mother Earth'' ( ...

as Il conte di Saint Vallier * Juan de Landa as Sparafucile * Loredana as Diana Di Saint Vallier *

Franco Coop Franco Coop (27 September 1891 – 27 March 1962), was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 65 films between 1931 and 1960. He was born in Naples, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Before the Jury'' (1931) * '' Moth ...

as Il duca di Cosse *

Corrado Racca Corrado Racca (14 November 1889 – 12 May 1950) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Racca began his career on stage when he moved to Florence in 1908. He later worked alongside other stage actors such as Ruggero Ruggeri, Emma Grama ...

as Signor De Brion * Giulio Battiferri as Uno dei rapitori di Gilda *

Oreste Bilancia Oreste Bilancia (24 September 1881 – 31 October 1945) was an Italian film actor. Born in Catania, Sicily, he was a star of Italian films in the silent era. He worked during the 1920s in Weimar Germany, which had the largest European film ind ...

as Un cortegiano *

Gildo Bocci Gildo Bocci (1 September 1886 – 22 July 1964) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 60 films between 1913 and 1959. He was born and died in Rome, Italy. Partial filmography * '' Messalina'' (1924) - Apollonio * '' Quo Vadis'' (1924) ...

as Il Gran Visir * Ruggero Capodaglio as Un cortegiano * Stanis Cappello as Un cortegiano *

Renato Chiantoni Renato Chiantoni (19 April 1906 – 24 December 1979) was an Italian actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1937 and 1978. Born in Brescia, the son of the stage actor Amedeo, Chiantoni debuted on stage entering several drama and revue comp ...

as Il terzo zingaro * Gemma D'Alba as Signora De Pardaillan * Alfredo De Antoni as Un cortegiano *

Liana Del Balzo Liana Del Balzo (4 March 1899 – 26 March 1982) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 90 films between 1935 and 1979. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and died in Rome, Italy. Even making her film debut quite late, in her for ...

as La marchesa che nasconde l'età *

Cesare Fantoni Cesare Fantoni (1 January 1905 – 15 January 1963) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Bologna, Fantoni began his acting career in Luchino Visconti’s stage proses until making his first on-screen appearance in 1937. ...

as Il sergente Roland *

Oreste Fares Oreste Fares (1885–1950) was an Italian stage and film actor.Landy p.155 Selected filmography * '' Before the Jury'' (1931) * ''Venus'' (1932) * '' The Missing Treaty'' (1933) * '' Villafranca'' (1934) * '' Red Passport'' (1935) * ''Cavalry'' ( ...

as Il servitore di Saint Vallier *

Adele Garavaglia Adele Garavaglia (15 April 1869 – 11 March 1944) was an Italian stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the perfor ...

as Costanza, la governante * Fausto Guerzoni as Il primo zingaro * Guido Morisi as Il duca De La Tour * Giacomo Moschini as Signor De Pardaillan * Giovanni Onorato as Il secondo zingaro *

Amina Pirani Maggi Amina Pirani Maggi (January 15, 1892 – November 10, 1979) was an Italian stage and film actress.Waldman p.162 Selected filmography * ''Television'' (1931) * '' Seconda B'' (1934) * '' Dimmed Lights'' (1934) * '' Like the Leaves'' (1935) * ''De ...

as Berarda, governante di Gilda * Cesare Polesello as Il quarto zingaro * Evaristo Signorini as Un cortegiano *

Aldo Silvani Aldo Silvani (21 January 1891 – 12 November 1964) was an Italian stage, film and voice actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1934 and 1964. Selected filmography * ''Cardinal Lambertini (1934 film), Cardinal Lambertini'' (1934) * ...

as Il boia * Edda Soligo as Un'amica della duchessa di Cosse * Edoardo Toniolo as Il poeta Marot

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

* 1941 films 1940s historical musical films Italian historical musical films 1940s Italian-language films Films directed by Mario Bonnard Italian black-and-white films Films set in the 16th century Films set in France Italian films based on plays Films based on operas Films based on works by Victor Hugo 1940s Italian films Italian-language historical musical films Fictional jesters Films based on operas by Giuseppe Verdi {{historic-musical-film-stub